Hydro power makes the most sense
Why are we wasting our tax dollars to debate the Site C Dam on the Peace River for the umpteenth time? It has been debated so many times since 1968.
It seems to me that those in power now just want another crack at it using my tax dollars because they didn’t get their way last time. All energy production has environmental costs, even solar, wind, tide and wave. The fact is, every person on this planet requires energy to exist. So until you and I are willing to drastically change the way we live or somehow convince everyone to stop having sex, we need to constantly be making sources of energy to fill the demand of the growing population on this earth.
Solar panels and wind power have effects on bird and bat populations. Tide and wave energy collection has proven to not be reliable enough, mostly due to the power of the ocean destroying infrastructure. Dams effect fish, and all effect humans. Germany has found that once the solar and wind energy production reaches 30 per cent of demand it is no longer viable to add more, because the demand for electricity time during the day doesn’t match the production. The remaining power sources have to ramp up and down to compensate. This process is very inefficient with nuclear and coal.
We only need to look at the results of government over subsidizing solar in Ontario to see the results in that electricity prices to the consumer are now beyond the reach of many.
That said, the first house I built for myself was completely off-grid solar. My second one had a grid tie solar system, and I am adding a grid tie to the house I am living in now.
Hydro is the cleanest and most easily controlled power source to make up the power fluctuations of solar and wind to match the demand time when the power is used. Yes, we have more power in this province than we need, but our neighbours are still producing theirs with coal and natural gas. We need to produce something to exist and keep the economy moving. Why not produce electricity in the best combination of clean, renewable, efficient, and controllable manner and sell it to our neighbours? The added bonus is we don’t have to breath the pollution they put into the air to produce their electricity.
Steven Kostamo
North Cowichan